Energy: Prices

Michael McCann: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the accuracy of the use of domestic energy prices when used to calculate wholesale energy prices.

Charles Hendry: The Department for Energy and Climate Change does not publish wholesale energy price forecasts. It publishes oil, gas and coal price assumptions for the period till 2030, which are used in the Department's analytical work. Rather than forecasting prices, DECC attempts to generate a number of price scenarios, based on estimates of fundamentals, that represent a plausible range that might materialise in the future. The assumptions do not capture short-term volatility in fossil fuel prices, but they are intended to reflect potential long-term trends. It is therefore possible to witness significant deviation from these trends in any one year. The Department keeps these assumptions under review, and will update them when necessary. The last review took place in January 2010 but no changes were made. In addition, as part of DECC's Updated Energy and Emissions Projections, DECC produce wholesale electricity price projections which arise from the fossil fuel price assumptions. The most recent projections can be found at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/proiections/proiections.aspx

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department and its predecessors has paid to trade unions in each year since 1997; and what estimate he has made of the monetary value of facilities provided by his Department and its predecessors for use by trade unions in each year since 1997.

Kenneth Clarke: The Ministry of Justice does not make any direct payments to trade unions.
	Facilities agreements between the Ministry of Justice and the trade union sides follow the provisions of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 and the ACAS code of practice 'Time off for trade union duties and activities' available at:
	http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2391
	The number of days that staff spent on trade union related duties and activities within the 2008-09 financial year was a maximum of 41,558. The estimated total salary cost of such activity was £6.3 million. This did not include PCS local representatives in MOJ (excluding NOMS). This figure is not known.
	The amount spent on trade union activity and on other facilities provided for use by trade unions since 1997 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many paid manpower hours civil servants in his Department and its predecessors spent on trade union-related duties and activities in each year since 1997.

Kenneth Clarke: Facilities agreements between the Ministry of Justice and the trade union sides follow the provisions of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 and the ACAS code of practice 'Time off for trade union duties and activities', available at:
	http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2391
	The number of paid manpower hours civil servants in the Department and its predecessors spent on trade union-related duties and activities in each year since 1997 could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

Trade Unions

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many civil servants in his Department and its predecessors spent the equivalent of  (a) five days or fewer,  (b) five to 10 days,  (c) 10 to 15 days,  (d) 15 to 20 days,  (e) 20 to 25 days and  (f) 25 days or more on trade union-related activities or duties while being paid salaries from the public purse in each year since 1997.

Kenneth Clarke: Facilities agreements between the Ministry of Justice and the trade union sides follow the provisions of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 and the ACAS code of practice 'Time off for trade union duties and activities', available at:
	http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2391
	The number of civil servants in the Department and its predecessors who spent the equivalent of  (a) five days or fewer,  (b) five to 10 days,  (c) 10 to 15 days,  (d) 15 to 20 days,  (e) 20 to 25 days and  (f) 25 days or more on trade union-related activities or duties while being paid salaries from the public purse in each year since 1997 could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

Flags

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps his Department takes to ensure that the Union flag is not displayed upside down on official occasions.

John Penrose: The DCMS has issued guidance on the correct way to fly the Union flag, which is available at the following website:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/honours/7125.aspx

National Lottery: Grants

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has carried out an equality impact assessment on his proposed changes to the distribution of lottery funds.

John Penrose: The consultation we are running until 21 August, which is on the Departments' website at:
	http://www.dcms.gov.uk/consultations/default.aspx
	includes a draft impact assessment and specifically asks whether consultees believe, or can provide evidence of, any adverse or positive impacts on particular groups from the change. We are not currently aware of any evidence that suggests there will be adverse impacts but the consultation responses will inform a full equality impact assessment.

National Lottery: Public Participation

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what account he is taking of the views of those who purchase lottery tickets for the National Lottery in his review of the allocation of proceeds from the National Lottery.

John Penrose: Lottery distributors are already working together to identify best practice and to develop options for increasing public involvement in their decisions about lottery funding.
	A public consultation on our proposed changes to Lottery shares is on the Department's website at:
	http://www.dcms.gov.uk/consultations/default.aspx
	I hope that lottery players, along with all of those who are interested in the lottery, will send their views to
	mailto:lottery@culture.gsi.gov.uk

Merchant Shipping

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to his letter to the hon. Member for Dunfermline and West Fife of 8 July 2010, from which interested parties he has received representations on the effect of the Merchant Shipping (Ship-to-Ship Transfers) Regulations 2010; if he will place in the Library a copy of each such representation; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: holding answer 13 July 2010
	I have received three letters containing representations from my hon. Members for Truro and Falmouth, Waveney, and Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross. Copies of these representations have been deposited in the Library. I have also received a number of oral representations including the British Ports Association and the Chamber of Shipping.
	Two Early Day Motions on the subject of the merchant shipping (ship-to-ship transfers) regulations have been tabled. Details of the early-day motions, and the hon. Members associated with them, are available on:
	http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMList.aspx